CHAPTER VI 
In 1871, Fordham and Maidment ran a dead heat for first 
place on the Hst of winning jockeys. Amongst the successes 
of the Heath House stable in this year were those of Queen's 
Messenger, who won every time he ran, including the Bucken- 
ham Stakes and the Clearwell, while Patriarch won the Ham 
Produce at Goodwood, and Noblesse was second to Hannah in 
the Oaks and third to her in the One Thousand. Archer's 
first mount in 1871 was in a handicap plate at the Craven 
Meeting. This and his subsequent doings are quite insignifi- 
cant down nearly to the close of his indentures in 1872. In 
this season he had twenty-seven mounts, but was only success- 
ful in three races. That Archer framed to be an exceptionally 
fine horseman was noticed by some critics very early in his 
career. 
" It first struck me," said " Vigilant " in the Sportsman of 
November 9, 1886, " that a great future was before him when 
he rode in an unimportant race ending at the Rowley 
winning-post, and I saw him gradually draw up to the horses 
in front of him, glance across at the judges' box, and, measur- 
ing his distance, make an effort that, if I remember rightly, 
just got him home first." 
About this period young John Dawson went to live at 
Heath House with his uncle Mathew, and he had much that 
was interesting to say about Fred Archer, with whom he shared 
a sitting-room. He once said : "Of course, I know the sort 
of life he lived in the early days of his apprenticeship, for it was 
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